Warriors: Origins
by FocusCelt
Summary: Somewhere in the New World, during one of the most coldest ages one could experience - where humans begin to show their dominance over all creatures, the saber-toothed cats have banded together to protect themselves from the dangers that comes with the everlasting winter, and from the threats of sick-holders.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Over a snowy tundra, life was non-existent. All that was here, was snow which spread out farther than a naked eye could see. Small gusts of wind would pick up tiny fragments of snow, throwing them up to the air as high as it could go. Aside from the howls of the winds, the tundra was quiet. That silence however, would soon be disturbed by a distant rumbling noise, that grew ever nearer. Snow shifted and shook, as the rumbling turned into stomps. Suddenly, a large woolly mammoth stomped its way across the tundra, ruining the smooth surface with its footprints as it trumpeted in fear of what was chasing after it. Right behind it, was a pack of four saber-toothed cats that slowly closed the distance.

"Shin, this damn mammoth is heading right for the stick-holder camp! We're gonna lose it!" A saber-tooth cat yelled, not wanting to lose the only meal they could have for months to come.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Running atop a high ground, Shin would pick up as much momentum as he could to jump onto the mammoths back. Immedietly the mammoth let out a trumpet of fear and pain, as Shin dug his claws and teeth into its back in a futile attemt to bring the large beast down. In a desperate attempt to get Shin off it's back, the mammoth would shake itself with enough force to make Shin fall back onto the snow below. Unfortunatly, the mammoth had to slow itself down in order to do such an action, allowing the other three sabers to catch up effortlessly.

"Take it down! Now!" Shin yelled after the three, as he quickly got back up onto his paws. Taking advantage of this, each saber would pounce pounce onto the mammoth, in an attempt to bring it down with united strength. One attempted to go for the neck, while the other two worked in combined effort to claw and bite at its stomach. The mammoth tried everything it could to throw off its attackers, but it was a futile attempt. The sabers were far more persistent, and wouldn't let such a large meal slip from their fangs. Eventually, Shin joined in on the struggle, causing enough of a tipping point for the mammoth to trip over it's feet and fall over. The saber-toothed cats took quick advantage of this by going for stomach and neck now that it was easier to reach. Soon, the mammoth's movement ceased, allowing the four saber-toothed cats to take this moment to celebrate, and catch a breath.

"Ha! We did it! I can't believe you didn't believe we could do it, Lexor!" One of the saber-toothed cats laughed, glancing over at the large meal that they'd soon be having.

"What? Don't be absurd Diego, you were the one having doubts!" Lexor hissed with annoyance, as he swiped a sheathed paw at Diego. Taking this as a challenge, Diego leapt forth and began beating Lexor with his paws in the hopes that he'd submit. Much to his displeasement, Lexor was more than happy to fight back.

Turning his head away from the scene, Shin looked up towards the dust pelted saber, who had his gaze set on the snowy horizon. Joining him on the hill, Shin would look off in the distance to see a nearby stick-holder camp that was within hearing distance. He didn't realise how close they had gotten to it.

"Those wolves must've heard the commotion from here. We should get out of here as soon as we can." The large cat sighed, hearing the distant howls emitting from the camp before looking over at Lexor and Diego, who were still interlocked in a play fight.

"Khan, I don't mean to speak against your orders but this kill is ours, not theirs! We shouldn't run away from what's rightfully ours!"

Khan slowly walked down the hill, with Shin in toe. "As much as I hate admitting it, the stick-holders are far more stronger than us. They are no longer the mere prey we used to hunt."

"But they are only few in number father," Shin retorted, dashing in front of Khan. "We can easily overpower them!"

"That's exactly what your mother said," Khan said, pain and anger flowing in his voice. "And because of her actions, more than half of our clan have been slaughtered by the stick-holders."

Defeated, Shin sighed as he stepped out of Khans way. As the two ceased their arguing, the distance noises of the stick-holders and wolves grew ever so nearer.

"Lexor! Diego! Now is not the time for games!" Khan spat, getting the two grown sabers on their paws.

"Eat what you can, and carry back what your mouth can hold. The stick-holders will be upon us soon." Khan said, padding towards the untouched mammoth before sinking his jaws into it's flesh. Without much hesitation, Lexor, Diego, and eventually Shin joined in, eating up as much as they could. Savouring it while they could.

Lifting his head, Shin sniffed the cold air, as his ears twitched from one direction to another.

"Dad, their stench is starting to fill the air. We should leave before they get within attacking distance." Shin said, quickly glancing towards Khan. Lexor and Diego lifted their heads towards Shin, before looking towards Khan for his imput.

"He's right. We've been here far too long. Carry back what you can, we're heading back to the gorge!" Khan finished, before tearing a thick piece of meat from the mammoth's corpse. Mimicking his actions, Lexor, Diego, and Shin tear out chunks of meat from the mammoth. As the hunting group prepared to leave, a spear would imbed itself inside the mammoth with a _thump_. Looking up towards the source, Diego would spot the growing number of stick-holders, each bearing a stick sharp enough to pierce through the toughest of flesh. Rather quickly, all four sabers would turn tail and run. Obviously, these big cats were far too fast for the stick-holders to keep up, but speed would be no problem for the wolves, who immedietly dashed after the pack. If circumstances were different, Khan would've ordered his group to attack the wolves without mercy, but with the stick-holders not too far behind, they would stand little to no chance.

"Curses! Why did those damn wolves have to form an alliance with the stick-holders?!" Diego yelled, as blood from the chunk of meat in his mouth dripped onto his pelt.

"Less talking! More running!" Lexor huffed, as both he and Shin ran past him.

"Diego, you gotta run faster than that!" Shin yelled after the speed-lacking saber, before accidentally dropping the chunk of meat he carried just as he ended his sentence. Going back for it was no option, as the wolves were far too close to stop for even a second.

"I'm trying- Ack!" A sharp pain would shoot throughout Diego's hind leg, causing him to trip over his feet and fall. Because of his slower pace, a determined wolf had unknowingly caught up to him, and bit at his hind leg. Immedietly, the other wolves began to direct their focus on Diego, as the stick-holders drew nearer.

"Khan, Diego fell!" Shin yelled after his father, immedietly after noticing the ordeal. Turning around, a glint of anger arose in Khan's eyes. Growling under his breath, Khan would effortlessly turn tail before running past Lexor towards Shin, dropping his chunk of meat in front of the visibly confused saber.

"Carry this back to the gorge, and don't look behind you!" Khan snarled at his son, before dashing towards the pack of wolves that grew closer to taking Diego's life. Taking his order to heart, Shin quickly picked up the chunk of meat Khan had placed in front of him before running off to catch up with Lexor; all without turning around.

Once he was close enough, Khan let out a howl of fury as he knocked himself into one of the wolves, leaving it dazed and confused. Before the other wolves could react, Khan bit down on the scruff of another wolf, summoning up the strength to throw him to the side. Disorganised from the attack, the remainder of the wolves dispersed away from Diego and Khan. This battle was far from over however, as not too far behind were the stick-holders. Believing they were close enough, one by one each of the stick-holders would throw their sharpened sticks towards th two cats.

"K-Khan! Help me!" Diego begged, with fear in his voice. A known coldness could be seen in Khan's eyes, as he looked down upon his injured comrade. Without much hesitation, Khan would pick up the chunk of meat that Diego had dropped, before he'd run.

"No! Please don't leave me! I'm begging you! Ah!" Diego's screams plagued Khan's ears, before inevitably being cut off. Khan didn't need to look behind him to know that Diego had been killed quickly. Fortunatly for him, the stick-holders and wolves were satisfied with their own kill of the day.

* * *

He wasn't exactly sure how long he had been running. Of course, there was no way of knowing - not that he was keeping track of time. Nevertheless, Khan would slow down his pace as soon as he began walking alongside a cliffside. The camp wasn't too far from here, so he didn't have to waste anymore energy running. As Khan trotted closer towards the overpass where his clan was located, the unwanted sight of Lexor and Shin would show up in his field of vision.

"What happened? Where's Diego?" Lexor asked Khan, as soon as he was within listening distance.

"He sacraficed himself so I could get away. Without him, I wouldn't be here to tell the tale." Khan said, as soon as he had spat out the chunk of meat. Despite his tone of voice, he wanted nothing more than to wrap this up as fast as he could. Lexor choked back a whine, while Shin looked at him with a suspicious expression. Not wanting to break down in front of the leader, Lexor dashed off; away from the camp. As Khan began to trot away with a _'hmph' _, Shin would snarl out loud before jumping in front of Khan.

"That's not what happened, is it?" Shin asked daringly. His act, which in his eyes was an act of bravery would quickly falter. He had forgotten that his father was far more skilled in fighting than he was. That, and the sight of him alone could make any weak willed enemy turn tail and flee.

"I didn't come here to be called a liar by the likes of you." Khan snarled, taking a threatening step towards Shin.

"I think you want to go and comfort Lexor, before he loses another friend." Taking his warning to heart, Shin would pick up the chunk of meat Khan had dropped, before running off in the hopes of finding Lexor. Khan wasn't one to make threats he wouldn't follow through on. Many found that out the hard way. With the two annoyances out of the way, Khan would make his way up a hill. On the other side, Khan could see his entire camp from below. If you counted the total number of sabers in this camp, there was at least twelve members. Himself as the leader, six warriors, one medicine saber, three apprentices, and one elder. It wasn't as big as it was before, but it was enough. The death of half the clan was honestly a good thing for everyone, as there wasn't as much prey to go around during these times.

Khan didn't realise he was lost in his head. That was a common for the leader, as he would sit idly in one spot lost in his head, all the while staring blankly at something, or someone. This became clear, as the medicine saber Sira would have nudge her head against his chest. Growling at the inturruption, Khan realised that if he didn't want to be inturrupted, he'd have to retreat inside his den.

"Khan, wait!" Sira yelled after him, as he began to pad away.

"Sira, whatever you're about to pester me with, it can wait. I wish to be left alone." Khan demanded.

"But there's something you must know!" The silver pelted she said, jumping in front of him. Seriously? Again? How many sabers were going to jump in front of him?!

"And it can wait! Are your comprehension skills growing as weak as your combat skills?!" Khan growled, his fur rising thanks to a growing anger. Despite this, Sira would ignore his demand and continued.

"Lexa has kitted." Sira said all at once. She needed to get the truth out before she suffered for it. Khan stood silent, his expression unreadable. He didn't say anything however, so she took this as a hint to continue.

"She gave birth to three healthy kits, two male, one she.." Sira sighed, dipping her head. Without saying anything, Khan would walk around Sira, but instead of making his way towards his den, he'd instead make his way towards the nursery. Just before he could enter, Sira jumped in front of him yet again. It nearly took all his willpower to not slash at her throat.

"Please, just don't do anything rash! You might not want to hear it, but these kits might give us a chance to bring our clan back to it's former glory days!" Sira said, in the hopes of making Khan think twice about exiling these kits on the spot, or worse.

"Move." Khan ordered. Following through, Sira dipped her head in apology, and watched at Khan entered the nursery.

* * *

Khan gave little care to being quiet and careful as he marched inside the nursery, intent on finding the mother of three kits.

"Lexa!" He yowled out, rage clear as day in his voice. Thanks to his sharp and loud voice, frantic mewing would be emitted somewhere in the corner of the nursery. Turning his head, Khan would set his eyes on Lexa and the three kits Sira had previously told hm of. If he were anyone else, the sight would've likely melted his heart. But he wasn't anyone else. Despite the clear need for it, having kits was greatly frowned upon; mainly by Khan and his close followers.

"I guess Sira told you?" Lexa sighed, preparing herself for the berating she would more than likely receive from Khan.

"How long have you hidden this from the clan?!" Khan asked, keeping his voice as calm as he physically could.

"Up until now." Lexa replied, leaving out the part where Sira played a big role in helping her keep in a secret. Despite the risk of being exiled or even killed, Lexa managed to staysurprisingly calm, as her answer wasn't full of fear. Despite this, Khan knew she couldn't keep up the little charade.

"Do you have any idea what position you've put us in?!" Khan asked, raising his voice this time. Although she flinched, Lexa didn't reply, so Khan took the chance to continue.

"Thanks to you, we now have more mouths to feed! We can barely feed ourselves!" Khan said, his voice growing louder with every word. Lexa stared at him dumbstruck. She didn't take into account the possible risks of having kits. Not only that, but she knew this would infuriate the leader. Why else would she hide it up until now? Was deciding to have kits really worth it?

"And worse yet, until they can walk properly they're going to be completely useless and fragile!" He took a paw step forward. At this point, any calm demeanor that Lexa may have had was far gone.

"You've put your entire clan in danger!"

"K-Khan, you don't understand! I thought that we could regrow what we previously had! After Matrisia sentenced half the clan to death, we need more sabers to defend what little we have left!"

"We need more food to feed what we have! These kits are going to be nothing but a burden; eating through what little we have! It was a grave mistake that you chose to have these kits, with whoever the unfortunate father is!" That broke her. His words were sharp and true. The clan was in no position to have more kits, or in Khans case; more mouths to feed. Worst of all, a tiny part of her did think it was a mistake to have these kits in such horrible conditions, but she quickly shook the thought.

"Khan, I know what I did is greatly frowned upon, but this clan has no future if there are no future generations! You must understand, I only did this because I love my clan! I want it to continue it's existance long after we're dead!" Lexa sobbed, causing her own kits mewing to increase in volume. Khan took the time to think about what he should do. The thought of exile was heavy on his mind, but one long look at the kits would tell him exactly what he needed to do. He chose not to exile - not because he cared, but because he had news that would more than likely destroy her, and that was enough to satisfy his anger.

"Only the strongest," Khan said after a while. "Only the strongest kit shall remain. The moment they're old enough to hunt and fight, - unless fate has been kind to us, only the strongest kit will stay here with us. The rest will be sent off to find life outside our territory, never to come back." Khan said. Before Lexa could protest, Khan decided now would be a good time as any to share the news. He found himself halfway to the entrance before he shared.

"Diego died. His life was taken trying to feed this clan." Khan said. Lexa didn't reply. The straightforwardness of the news made it so she couldn't. Without saying anything else, Khan left the den to leave Lexa to grieve, and grieve she did. Diego, as everyone in the clan knew, was Lexa's younger brother. The two were very close, supportive, and protective of each other. They had promised their mother that they'd take care of each other if she were to ever pass away, so it pained her to find out that she couldn't keep true on her promise. She failed to keep her brother alive. She choked back a whimper as her kits continued to mew in distress. With a broken smile on her muzzle, she began to comfort the kits despite her own pain.

"Hush now, my babies.." She said with the softest voice she could. The mewing quieted down as Lexa continued to comfort her kits. Eventually, they fell silent. Lexa let out a deep sigh, as she kept herself from crying, 'less she wake the kits. Thoughts of Diego, mixed with Khans sharp words plagued her mind. She didn't want to think that her kits were a mistake, and she most certainly didn't want them to think that they were. She wanted to believe that they would prove their worth, not only to Khan, but to the clan. She let out another sigh. Khan would most likely announce Diego's death when silverpelt stretched over the sky. Silverpelt? What was she, an elder? A low laugh emerged from her muzzle as she licked a paw. If there was a belief she had, it was that her kits were special.

Then again, everyone thinks their kits are special.

* * *

After announcing Diego's death, alongside the birth of the three saber-toothed kits, Khan had padded off to be on his own. He positioned himself ontop of a hill, so that he could see the entirety of his camp from below. However, he wouldn't be alone for long, as Sira would soon join him.

"Thank you for being merciful." Sira sighed.

"I'm surprised I was." Khan replied coldly.

"I have faith we'll make it through this. That no one will be exiled from he clan." Sira said. Her opinion mattered little to Khan, unfortunately.

"Faith is something the weak have. If I'm ever faithful, it'll be the day when I believe Starclan exists." Khan retorted. Sira simply let out a sigh, as she lifted herself up and began padding back down towards the camp.

"I really wish you'd adopt a more positive attitude towards those kits." She said, before marching off into the medicine den, leaving Khan alone. Letting out a sigh, Khan would glance up at the stars that were sprinkled across the black sky, before scoffing.

"I'll try." With that, he too would make his way back down towards the camp into his own personal den, to sleep the night away.

**(End of Prologue)**

* * *

**I'm back! After months of inactivity, I return with a new story in toe! In all honesty, it was very enjoyable to make this. Creating a warrior fanfic has been on my mind, and I've gone through a lot of ideas on how I should approach it. Perhaps I might make another, if I get positive reviews for this one - making it the warriors we're more used to! Comparing this prologue to my first fanfic I ever made (when it was first released), I can tell that I've really improved with writing, and I hope to write more of this! Please leave positive feedback, or constructive criticism so I can improve my writing! Hope you enjoyed!**


	2. Chapter I

**Chapter I**

As he watched his two siblings run out of the camp followed by a well trained warrior, Rascal tried ever so desperately to escape from his mother's grip. Lexa wasn't having it however, and quickly worked to tighten her grip over the stubborn kit.

"Stop moving, otherwise you're going to hurt yourself!" Lexa warned.

"It's not fair! Why can't I go?" The young saber whined, going limp as his mother placed him down.

"Because it's too dangerous. You know how fragile you are!" Lexa countered with a sigh. Rascal quickly flipped over on his paws before looking up at his mother with a saddened expression.

"You're just saying that because I'm the smallest of the liter!" Rascal complained. That wasn't entirely true. He was the same size as his other two siblings, however thanks to his skinny posture from a lack of food, Rascal was barely fed. For whatever reason, his mother wanted his other siblings: Cinos and Prague to have more food than he did. Despite this, Rascal always thought this was because there was never enough food to go around, as his mother always put it.

"Rascal, you know I would never put you in harms way. You're just not ready to face the dangers outside the camp." Lexa said, licking Rascal on the head. Rascal let out a high-pitched mewl of protest, causing his mother to let out yet another sigh. She closed her eyes in deep thought, hoping she could come up with a solution to make Rascal happy. Before she could speak out her final thoughts, she'd be approached by Khan. Wary of the leader, she'd stand in front of him and Rascal.

"What do you want, Khan?" Lexa asked, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

"There's no need for that, Lexa. I just came by to see if I could convince this young one to join his siblings." Khan said calmly, smirking as Lexa gave him a sharp glare. To make it worse, Rascal would be quick to support Khan.

"See mom? Even Khan wants me to go!"

"It'll help him in the long run." Khan added with a feral grin that Rascal thankfully didn't notice. Seeing no other option left, Lexa submitted as she'd turn her head towards Rascal.

"If you're quick enough, you can catch up with them." Lexa sighed, as Rascal let out a yelp of joy!

"Go on now. You don't want them to get to far." Khan smiled down at Rascal.

"Thanks mom! You won't regret this!" Rascal giggled, before he'd run out of the camp without waiting for his mother or Khan to say anything else. As soon as he was gone, Lexa quickly shot yet another glare towards Khan.

"You mind explaining what that was all about?!" She yelled. Khan quickly dropped his friendly demeanor, as he'd look back at Lexa.

"It's almost that time, Lexa. I just want to see which one will have the luxury of staying here." Khan said coldly, before he'd slowly trot away. Lexa looked on in realisation. Two of her kits were at risk of being exiled the moment they came back.

* * *

Rascal ran as fast as he could straight ahead. After all, he had to be fast if he was ever going to catch up with his siblings. As he ran further away from the camp, Rascal could make out the distant, yet familiar voices of his brother and sister, letting him know he was going the right direction. After running quite the distance, Rascal would finally spot them in a clearing play-fighting with each other. From what it seemed, his brother Cinos was winning over his sister, and was gloating over it. But surely they wouldn't mind a stronger competition.

Running at his top speed, Rascal pounced on the two unsuspecting sabers with a mixed yowl and giggle. Because of this, he'd manage to knock one of them on his back, while the other managed to slip from his grasp and jump back in surprise. Rascals victory was short lived however, as out of nowhere he'd be picked up off his brother by the scruff before being thrown to the side. As he slowly regained his senses, Rascal would find himself looking up at the warrior who had effortlessly thrown him away from Cinos. He instinctively backed away in fear, as the larger saber began to menacingly approach him.

"Torrid, stop! That's Rascal!" Cinos cried out. Torrid would be quick to drop his offensive stance, as realisation hit him in the face like a brick wall.

"Rascal? What are you doing here?!" Torrid asked, wincing in embarrassment as he sheathed his claws and calmed his fur. If he told his mother about this, he'd never hear the end of it.

"M-Mom said I could go w-with you if I managed t-to catch up. E-Even Khan wanted me to come." Rascal whimpered. He wasn't wounded, but being grabbed by a warrior and thrown to the side sure didn't tickle either. Who knew teeth could be that sharp.

"I'll admit Rascal," Cinos huffed, as he got up. "You sure did get the jump on us."

This was enough to calm Rascal down, as he smiled with delight. It was rare for his siblings, let alone one of them to give him a compliment.

"But no one said anything about him joining us! There has to be some sort of mistake!" Prague said sharply. Rascal's enthusiasm quickly vanished as the trio exchanged looks. He didn't take into account how his siblings would react. Prague obviously wasn't taking his presence well.

"Now Prague, if your mother wanted him to join us; including Khan, then perhaps it was for good reason." The large warrior said, looking over at Rascal. "Besides, when was the last time the three of you spend time together?"

Cinos and Prague looked at each other, before looking at Rascal. Cinos let out a sigh, as Prague scoffed out loud.

"So he could whine about losing against us?" Prague scoffed as her eyes met Rascals. Without waiting for a reply from either Rascal, or Torrid, Prague trotted off with a 'Hmph!'. Cinos looked up at the warrior, preparing to say anything that could cover up Prague's dislike towards Rascal, only to be beat by him.

"Just have a word with her. Maybe you could convince her that having her other brother around won't be that bad."

"Thanks Torrid." Cinos sighed, before running off to catch up with his sister. Looking towards Rascal, who stayed in the same spot he had thrown him in, Torrid would trot towards the flat eared tom, sitting down next to him.

"Don't take it too personally, they just don't know how to handle extra company." Torrid said in an effort to comfort him. Lifting his head slightly, Rascal would glance at his siblings for a bit, before dipping his head once more with a sigh.

"It's not that, I'm just scared that I won't have the potential to become an apprentice when the time comes."

"With that attitude, you probably won't get far. Just have a little faith." Torrid winked, before looking over towards Cinos and Prague as he stood up.

"Cinos! Prague! Get over here!" Torrid yelled, his voice sharp enough to even make Rascal flinch. After being summoned by their supervisor, Cinos and Prague would end their private conversation before trotting over toward Torrid. It seemed like Cinos did a somewhat of a good job at calming her down, even though it seemed like she was still skeptical about having Rascal around.

"What is it?" Cinos asked, as Prague skidded to a halt beside him.

"Now that the gangs all here, I've thought of a fun little activity all of you could do." The warrior asked, a grin forming on his face.

"What do you mean?" Prague asked, tilting her head.

"Hunting, of course! Ever since the clan moved to the forest, we have managed to keep our clan somewhat well fed than when we were still living in the gorge." He answered, as the siblings exchanged confused glances at each other. Noticing this, Torrid would groan out loud.

"Oh, come on! Don't be like that. If you manage to catch something this early in your life, it could mean you have potential ready to be exploited." Torrid sighed, after noticing that their expressions didn't falter.

"But we don't know the first thing about hunting!" Rascal cried out, only to be shot down by his sister.

"Oh, speak for yourself! Maybe if you listened to mom, you wouldn't be in this mess!" She'd snap, causing Rascal to lower his head.

"Tell you what. If you manage to catch anything that can be eaten, I'll tell Khan about it. You'll be held in high regard, and will possibly have a chance to be trained by the best warriors!" Torrid said with a smirk. This caught Prague's ear, who unbeknownst to her other siblings, had developed some sort of crush on the battle hardened leader. Rascal didn't share her hidden joy, given this still didn't change the fact that he didn't know how to properly hunt.

"Don't worry Rascal. I'll try to help you out." Cinos said, nudging himself against Rascal who smiled in thanks.

"Try not to go too far. If you can't find anything, then forget about it. Just come back here when you're done; I'll be watching from afar." Torrid added. Nodding in agreement, the trio would trot out of the clearing into the forest beyond. Sticking together however, wasn't going to last long, as Prague was already preparing to ditch the two.

"Prague, where are you going?" Cinos asked, stopping to turn and look at her.

"Obviously I'm not going to find anything hanging around you two; especially him." She replied, sticking her nose in the air.

"But Torrid said we needed to stick together!" Rascal said in fear of something happening to Prague while she was alone.

"He said nothing of the sort!" Prague scoffed. "Besides, if I'm going to catch Khan's attention, then he needs to see me in action when I'm alone!" Prague finished in pure confidence, puffing out her white furry chest with her head held high.

"Good luck." Cinos huffed, nudging Rascal to get his attention. "Come on Rascal, we'll meet her back at the clearing."

Nodding in agreement, Rascal and Cinos would trot deeper into the snow covered forest floor, as Prague went her own way. Thanks to advice from his mother, Cinos had a good idea on how to use his nose and hearing to spot out prey. Rascal on the other hand, had paid no attention to his mother's advice during the time. He didn't think he'd actually need it in future reference. The two had spent a considerable amount of time wandering around, convincing Rascal they wouldn't find anything. This would quickly be shot down however, as a scurrying could be heard nearby - causing Cinos to stop immediately.

"Rascal, keep quiet. I think I hear something." Cinos whispered, his ears flicking back and forth to try and spot out the noise he heard.

"I can't hear anything." Rascal silently whined, earning a quick glare from his more observant brother.

"Just keep quiet, I'll look for it." Cinos ordered, before sneaking off towards whatever had seemingly bothered him. But not even a minute after Cinos had gone of to investigate, curiosity would eventually get the better of Rascal, causing him to quietly follow his brother's pawprints. Besides, if this was prey they were now after, he should probably help out if he wanted to be ask good as his siblings. After spotting his brother, Rascal would take careful note of the position he was in: Cinos's body was low to the ground, as he slowly worked his way toward an unsuspecting saber-toothed squirrel.

After getting close enough, Cinos would pounce forward, unsheathing his claws before swiping violently at the saber-toothed squirrel. Despite hitting it, the little vermin quickly scurried away before Cinos could deliver the finishing blow. Noticing that it was close enough, Rascal would attempt to copy his brother's move by pouncing on it, but instead of using his claws to kill it, he'd attempt to grab it with his teeth. However, as he momentarily pinned the squirrel and bit down, he'd immediately reel back and spit out a patch of fur that he had torn out from the squirrel. As the squirrel began to make a break for it, Cinos: being close enough, would take this chance to finish the squirrel off by pinning it under his weight, and sinking his teeth into its neck to kill it instantly. Letting go of his new and first kill, Cinos quickly looked over towards Rascal with a smile, only for it to turn into a frown after discovering he still didn't have anything except for the patch of fur in front of his paws.

"Come on. There's probably something around." Cinos said, in an attempt to boost his brothers confidence.

"I sure do hope so." Rascal sighed, his head held low in shame. That squirrel was right there! If Prague ever found out about his failure, she'd completely destroy his self-esteem. Rascal needed to prove her wrong before she even had a chance. He could prove that he was just as good as his siblings, maybe even better! Without warning, Rascal would immediately run off in a random direction, causing his brother to be left confused for a split moment.

"R-Rascal, wait!" He yelled after his brother, picking up his kill before running after him.

* * *

Torrid sat patiently in the same clearing as before. Prague had made it back with a kill of her own. It wasn't that impressive, but given a mouse was hard to catch, it was worth noting. For a while, the two had to wait for Cinos and Rascal to come back, and while Torrid managed to keep himself occupied by grooming his sandy pelt, Prague was slowly starting to lose her mind.

"Ugh, how long do we have to wait here?" She whined. It was starting to get rather late, and she wanted to return back to the comforts of the camp.

"Until your siblings come back, unless you want to leave them?" Torrid asked, shifting his gaze towards Prague. Wincing at his suggestion, Prague decided not to answer. Even if she said yes, he wouldn't actually go through with it, would she? Fortunately, she wouldn't have a say in the matter, as both Cinos and Rascal trotted into the clearing much to their delight.

"Finally! Where were you?" Prague yelped out in joy, immediately rushing over to Cinos and nudging her head against his chest.

"Sorry, I was trying to find a catch for myself. Rascal beat me to it." Cinos replied, looking over at Rascal. Despite the evidence of a catch being made by Rascal, Prague was a bit skeptical of the sight.

"Seriously? The runt actually caught something?" She asked, looking at the saber-toothed squirrel in Rascal's mouth. Furrowing his brows, Rascal immediately placed down _his _catch in order to make a retort.

"Mom always said I'd be a good hunter! Who knows, I might even be a strong fighter!" Prague nearly choked in laughter thanks to his ridiculous claim. He wasn't being serious was he? Maybe it was time she put him in his place.

"How about we find out?" Prague asked threateningly, taking a paw step forward. Before she could act on her threat, Torrid would be quick to step between the two. However, he didn't do that to defend Rascal from a possible fight, as he was also a bit suspicious of his supposed catch. After all, aside from his siblings, Rascal never did anything worth noticing. Looking towards Cinos, he'd lean his head down uncomfortably close to his muzzle before sniffing. Once, then twice. Squinting his eyes, he'd lift his head back up again.

"His catch, huh?" Torrid asked. Cinos dipped his head in shame after realising that they had been found out. Prague looked at Rascal for a split moment, before glancing back towards Cinos. Before she could say anything about this as well, Torrid stopped her.

"That'll be enough for now, let's return to camp." Torrid said, before turning tail back towards the direction of the camp. Right before he took a few pawsteps forward, he'd stop in order to shift his gaze towards Cinos.

"I suggest you take back your catch." Torrid said in a threatening tone, before he'd continue to lead the walk. With a small huff, Rascal would drop the saber-toothed squirrel in front of Cinos.

"Sorry brother, I tried." Cinos sighed, as he picked up his kill.

"It's alright. Maybe we'll have another chance." Rascal replied with a worried smile.

* * *

After making it back to camp, Torrid would make his way towards Khan's den as the three siblings rushed towards their mother, who waited patiently by the fresh kill pile.

"Mom, look at what I caught!" Prague said, dropping a mouse in front of her mother.

"Oh, that's wonderful! These are a rare to come by in these times!" Lexa praised, licking her daughter on the head in order to congratulate her.

"That's nothing when you compare it to this!" Cinos scoffed, presenting the saber-toothed squirrel. Although she was quite surprised by the catch, worry soon flashed across Lexa's muzzle.

"Oh dear, you didn't catch this by yourself did you?" Lexa asked, trotting around Cinos as if she was looking for something.

"No, Rascal helped me find it." Cinos replied, not wanting all the credit to go over to him. Rascal immediately lowered his gaze to the ground after noticing his mother snap her gaze towards him. She prepared to give him a painfully long speech about how kits his age shouldn't be hunting for saber-toothed squirrels, but thought against it. She'd simply make it short.

"Although this is quite impressive, you could've gotten hurt catching this. Saber-toothed squirrels shouldn't be underestimated, especially when they decide to fight back." Lexa sighed, licking Rascal on the head.

"But you both did good. All you you." She finished with a smile. Before the three could respond to her compliment, a yowl emitting from Khan's den would catch their attention.

"Members of the White Forest Clan old enough to slaughter their enemies, gather around the high rock for a clan meeting!" Khan yowled out loud. Sabers would quickly pour out of their dens to attend the meeting, as Lexa nudged her children towards the high rock. They were old enough to attend, after all.

* * *

_After making it back to camp, Torrid would make his way towards Khan's den as the three siblings rushed towards their mother. Upon entering the den, Torrid would come face to face with Khan._

_"I was just about to leave," Khan informed. "I hope you bring me good news?"_

_"About the trio of kits you oddly despise, yes." Torrid replied. After receiving a glare from Khan, he continued._

_"After gaining permission from Lexa, I took them out on a little hunting trip. Before that happened, Rascal ended up surprise attacking his siblings. It would've been an entertaining thought, had I not thought he was an intruder trespassing in our territory. Anyways, after a few apologies, I was quick to tell them that they had to go hunting. It went well, for the most part: Prague was the first one to come back with a mouse. Cinos and Rascal came back moments later, but only one of them came back with a catch." Although small in importance, this had peaked interest in Khan._

_"Who?" He'd ask._

_"Cinos. He did however, try to make it seem as if his brother was the one who made the catch. I quickly discovered the truth however." Torrid answered, as Khan chuckled to himself._

_"Time and time again, two of Lexa's kin have showed such potential. It will be most interesting to how they do in training." Khan said, his chuckling spree dying down._

_"And what of the other one?" Torrid asked._

_"I made a promise to myself long before he had to move the clan to the forest, Torrid. Although that promise has changed on my end, I still intend on keeping my own word." Khan said. With that, he'd dismiss Torrid with a flick of his ear before making his way outside to jump on top of his den._

_"Members of the White Forest Clan, who are strong enough to to slaughter their enemies, gather around the high rock for a clan meeting!" Khan yowled out loud, his mighty voice causing almost every saber-toothed cat to pour out of their dens towards the high rock, including Lexa and her young._

* * *

"It has been far too long, since we have bestowed the honor of becoming an apprentice upon a kit. But today, we break that cycle in the hopes of bringing forth yet another generation! To restore what we once had! Rascal, Cinos, Prague, step forward!" Khan's voice boomed. Eagerly, Cinos and Prague stepped in front of the rock, and although it took a while for Rascal to join them, a little nudge from his mother was all he needed to take his place beside his siblings.

"Unbeknownst to you, all of you have been put through many tests under the supervision of many of my most trusted warriors. Prague, you have shown outstanding a lot of potential when it comes to both hunting and combat. Let us hope, that with proper training you become become the strongest warrior of the next generation!" Khan praised. Prague closed her eyes and puffed out her chest, allowing the pride to wash over her like a wave.

"Cinos, you have been known for being oddly brave during situations other kits your age wouldn't. With how the times are changing, we'll need more sabers with your bravery, especially ones who will be respected. Let us hope this trait will not fade as you grow older." Cinos smiled giddly at the praise. He was going to make a fine warrior, he just knew it!

"As is tradition, you two shall no longer be known as the weak willed kits you once were. From here on out, you shall become the first apprentices appointed in our new territory! Scar shall have the honors of mentoring Prague, while Blackweb will have the honors of mentoring Cinos. We will all watch your progress with great interest." Khan finished. Immediately, the clan cheered the names of the two new apprentices. Although delighted to finally become apprentices, no one would forget about Rascal, who was still waiting patiently to be made an apprentice.

"As for you Rascal, despite having the opportunity like your other siblings, you have barely shown any potential unlike your siblings. You failed to follow in their footsteps, failed to catch a meal for your clan, and failed your clan. You have been a massive disappointment." Khan snarled, as a few snickers and whispers could be heard from the crowd. Lexa lowered her head in defeat. She knew what was coming, but couldn't bear to see it happen. Slipping away unnoticed, Lexa would trot head low towards the warriors den as Khan continued.

"Without a use for the clan, there is no future when you remain a member here. I hereby exile you from White Forest Clan. Torrid shall see that you leave _safely _without problem. Clan dismissed." With that, Khan jumped down from the high rock, as the other sabers began to disperse one by one. Rascal would quickly attempt to spot out his mother from the dispersing crowd, only to be stopped by Torrid.

"Your mother isn't the exit." Torrid chuckled. Rascal tried to get around the large tom, only to be picked up by the scruff.

"Cinos! Prague! Mom! Help me, please! I don't want to go!" Rascal cried out loud. Prague however, wasn't interested. She had already made her way towards her new mentor. It did seem like Cinos was considering the idea, but one glare from Torrid told him that it wasn't a good idea. Instead, he padded towards his own mentor. For one last time, Rascal tried desperately to find his mother - even calling out for her, but she was nowhere to be found.

As soon as Rascal was taken out of the camp, Khan would trot out of his den before making his way towards the warriors den where he'd find Lexa curled up in a ball. She'd quickly lift her head as soon as she heard him enter.

"I hope you're happy with yourself!" She spat in despair, getting up before backing away from Khan who had a smirk on his face.

"At least it was only one of them, Lexa. Unless you want me to kill one of the other two, I'd say that this was more than fair." Khan said, before trotting out of the den without waiting for a reply. Lexa would once again collapse against the rough bedding. She had obviously been expecting this, yes. But even so, there was no force in the world, that could prepare you for losing your child.

**End of Chapter I**

* * *

**Well, here we are. The first (reworked) chapter to the fic. **

**This surprisingly took a long time for me to write, as I didn't know how I wanted to start it. Because of this, I ended up having to scrap a lot of rough drafts, given I wasn't satisfied with how they began. Nevertheless, after many attempts I ended up with this. Now I'm going to ponder on if I should make the next chapter focus on Rascal, or the other two: Cinos and Prague. Hopefully it won't take me too long to work on. **


	3. Chapter II

**Here we are, the second (or third chapter if you count the prologue) to Warriors: Origins. I know I haven't worked on it in a while, I've just been working on the remastered version of Heroes: The Following - something that's taking a lot more time than it should. Nevertheless, I decided to take a small break from that to work on this story again, just in case any of you thought I abandoned it. Anyway, without further ado, let's get started!**

* * *

**Chapter II**

Rascal couldn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it. Not too long ago, he had been exiled from his clan for failing to show his potential unlike his siblings. It didn't even make sense! He was never informed of the consequences of not training as hard as his siblings did! This quickly turned his feelings from fear and confusion into anger. Had his mother not kept him back from training as hard as Cinos or Prague, then maybe he could've had a chance to stay with them! There was no way Khan would throw away another one of his siblings if he was as strong as them. He needed to prove that he could become just as strong as his siblings if he got another chance, all he needed was for the leader to hear him out. Thus, he began to shake vigorously despite being held firmly by Torrid. Noticing this, Torrid tightened his grip over the small saber-toothed kit, quickly forcing him to stop his pointless struggle.

They had been walking for quite some time now, and with every paw-step Torrid took, Rascal knew that it was one step further from the camp, further from the clan, and further from the family that should've defended him from this fate. After what seemed like an eternity, Rascal would be dropped by a log without prior notice, causing him to collapse upon impact with the somewhat soft forest floor. He weakly looked up at Torrid in hopes he could guilt-trip him into taking care of him, but that didn't seem to work. Torrid's expression remained unreadable; he couldn't tell if he was looking down on him in pity or what.

"This is the end of the line." Torrid said after staring down at the shaking Rascal.

"W-What am I supposed to do?" Rascal asked. This was really happening - he was really being sent away for failing his clan.

"Never come back." Torrid darkly responded, "Should you do just that, then any patrol that comes across you won't give you a warm welcome. I'm sure you're smart enough to understand what that means."

Oh, Rascal understanded perfectly, or at least he thought he did. He wouldn't want to be caught wandering in White Forest territory, as he was no longer a member of the clan. Through stories provided by his mother, Rascal understood that White Forest's foreign policy toward other clans, or rogues was very strict. There was a high chance you'd be killed if you didn't have a good enough reason for trespassing in the first place. Rascal looked up at Torrid, hoping that some part of him would feel guilty for his state, and would help him as much as he was able to, either through hunting for him, or defending him from danger. This hope was immediately crushed as soon as Torrid turned around to walk back to the camp.

"Wait!" Rascal ran forward.

Was Torrid really going to leave him here? No words of encouragement? Just a warning to never come back? He couldn't accept that; his mindset wouldn't let him. He'd quickly choose to believe that this was a final test of sorts - challenge the warrior and hopefully pass this test. Well, he would've passed it had he not been flung backwards by a strong unknown force. He suddenly felt weak, as if this unknown force had taken out all his will to get up. He also had trouble seeing out of one of his eyes. What just happened to him? Why couldn't he get up, or see out of one of his eyes? Was he hit by something? Maybe a branch fell down and hit him hard enough to keep him down, but if that was the case, then where was that branch? Rascal then looked back up towards Torrid with the eye he could still see out of, shuddering under that expressionless glare. He'd take notice the paw Torrid had raised, his unsheathed blood-covered claws being far too hard to ignore. Wait a minute, blood covered?

A drop of blood fell from Torrid's claws as Rascal felt a strange liquid mix into his fur. Then, the pain registered, and he found himself quickly biting his paw to keep himself from crying out from pain. This newfound pain hurt so much; it was unlike anything he had ever discovered when Cinos or Prague picked on him, with the worst they'd do being biting him hard enough to make him cry. Rascal used the remainder of his strength to look up at Torrid, only to discover that he was already gone. He was probably gone for a while now, leaving his fate sealed. Rascal was to die alone in the snow-covered forest. No last words, no one to look over him, and no one to stay with him as he slipped into the sweet embrace of death. After lettin a shudder loose, Rascal would relax himself as he looked up at the dark sky. Wait a minute, wasn't it light out not too long ago? He couldn't have been out here that long, could he? No, that was impossible. A kitten like him would've died before the sun even had a chance to set, and as far as he knew, there was no indication that the sun was close to setting. Above him, a lone star shined brightly, being the only light in the ever expanding darkness of the sky. Rascal had often heard stories of a place cats go after they die, a place where you could hunt until your heart's content, and live aside great warriors. If it was real, Rascal would find himself in that place, hopefully happier than he would've been in White-Forest Clan. As he felt his eyes getting heavy, a shadow lingered over him. At this point, Rascal was far too weak to move or defend himself should this shadow do anything. In fact, he felt rather tired - he needed to get a good rest before doing anything.

* * *

When Rascal woke up, he found himself in the warmth comfort of a den, nuzzling by a motherly-figure. Was last night just a bad dream? It was too hard to tell at this point. If it was, then boy-oh-boy did he have a story to tell his mother! He excitingly stood up, only to collapse as a sharp pain shot through his body. Alright, maybe he was asleep for far too long to get up properly. Oh well, he'd just tell her like this. He'd quickly look over toward his mother, before his heart, no, his entire body froze in fear. Whoever his saber-toothed cat was, she wasn't his mother. Her scent was all off, and she looked nothing like his silver-pelted mother. This stranger quickly noticed his awake, and offered Rascal a warm smile, one that could automatically tell you that there was no intention to harm you. Rascal wasn't buying it however. Everything started to come trickling back, refusing to stop despite his best attempts. His exile, his family abandoning him to the fate of the forest, and receiving a nasty cut from Torrid.

Rascal tried to get up again, only to be forced down by the saber-toothed she.

"Relax." She said in a soft tone, "You were injured when Alik found you."

Rascal stopped shaking. Her reassuring tone seemed to help in calming him down.

"W-Where am I?" He'd ask weakly.

"You're in Glacier Clan." The she responded.

Rascal almost gasped in shock. So the stories were true: there were other clans in the forest that White-Forest Clan occupied. He thought it was just a story told to kits to make them think there was more clans then the one they were born it. For whatever reason, Cinos and Prague, including Rascal to some extent, always fascinated over here being another clan, despite being told that White-Forest clan held all the territory in the known forest. Now here he was, supposedly the first kit to discover the existence of another clan. Either he had been lied to, or White-Forest Clan didn't know of any other clans that may potentially be in the forest.

As Rascal was lost in his thoughts, a sand-pelted tom would peak his head into the den, "May I come in?"

"I don't see a problem in it." The she shrugged, looking down at Rascal as he finally took notice of the presence of another saber.

"How is he? I notice he's finally awake."

"Yeah, he woke up not too long ago. In fact, it was just before you came in." The she explained, "I don't know how he's feeling though. He only asked where he was, then fell silent after I told him."

The saber-toothed tom nodded in understanding, before looking down at Rascal, who instinctively tried to back up before another sharp pain prevented him from doing so. The tom would be quick to catch onto this action, and would formulate words to try and comfort the fear-filled kit.

"It's alright!" The tom quickly said, "I just want to see how you're doing."

"Pf- you look scarier than Elkshire when he pulls that whole serious face!" The she snickered, earning a glare from the tom.

"Oh, come on! That's not even funny!"

"It is to me!" She'd continue to laugh, causing the tom to fidget on the spot. This action left Rascal reassured that he wouldn't do anything, _yet_. As a result, he'd find himself lightly laughing with the she. Taking note of this, the tom and she would look at each other before exchanging solemn nods. As the tom left, the she would look back down at Rascal as he slowly stopped laughing. She'd quickly offer him a smile, to once again assure him he was in a safe place.

"How are you feeling?" She'd ask, repeating the question the tom from before had asked.

"Good." Rascal said with a smile, before looking down with a saddened expression. "I think. Everything hurts: I can't see out of one of my eyes, my apprentice ceremony was botched, and my family and clan threw my out of their lives."

Saying all of that out loud nearly broke Rascal into tears. He didn't however. He didn't know if this was a safe place to cry or not. In White-Forest Clan, kits that cried were looked on as weak and black sheep to the clan, and were often punished for doing so. The she nodded, trying to understand his situation as best as she could. It wasn't unheard of that some clans would throw out kits that possibly had no potential for their clan.

"Are you strong enough to stand?" The she asked. Rascal stayed silent for a while, leaving the she wondering if he was thinking of an answer, of if he was too far in his head to hear her.

Before she could repeat her question, he'd respond, "I think so."

Rascal would put his claim to the test. Under the watchful eye of the she, Rascal would slowly and carefully stand up. There was pain, yes, but not as much as when he tried to stand up too quickly. After managing to get up on his four paws, Rascal would look up at the she, who gave him an approving nod.

"Good enough. Now, can you walk?" She'd ask. That would be no problem for Rascal. He could stand up, albeit slowly, there would be no problem with him walking forward.

It would only take one paw-step before he'd lose his balance and fall over. The she let out a sigh, and would quickly help him back up on his feet.

"Keep trying. You have to be able to walk, otherwise your introduction to the clan won't be as grand as you'd want it to be." She said. The words 'introduction to the clan' stuck out like a thorn caught in a paw. He was going to be introduced to the clan? Why? Wasn't he technically introduced when he was brought into the clan?

"Good! Very good! You're already doing better than before!" The she praised. Rascal felt his pelt warm up from the compliment. It wasn't often he would earn a compliment from someone, aside from his mother. He didn't let the compliment go to his head however, not this time. Like his mother, this she could give him nice compliments, only to abandon him along with the rest of the clan.

After looking out of the den, the she would stand up before gently nudging Rascal forward with a paw, "Come on now. There's no time to waste."

It took Rascal a moment to register what she meant, but it quickly became clear that she wanted him to follow. Reluctantly, Rascal would leave the comfort of the den he was in, quickly trotting forward to catch up with the she. He immediately felt nervous and unsafe being out here. He felt eyes burning into his pelt, as if he was suddenly the center of all attention. Any whispers that came out of a saber's mouth would immediately be thought to be about Rascal. Eventually, he'd find himself standing at the entrance of yet another den, with an odd white color. After waiting, a grey-pelted saber would trot out of the den. He'd exchange looks with Rascal, before looking toward the she.

"Is this the newcomer?" He'd ask.

"He is, Greystar." The she nodded, stepping back so that the leader could better examine Rascal. Unlike Khan, Rascal felt safer under this stranger's gaze, even though his life may very well be in danger. But that was unlikely. If they wanted him dead, they wouldn't have brought him to their camp alive.

"He was supposed to be an apprentice at this point." She'd add.

"I see he's doing better." Whitestar noted, "What's your name?"

"R-Rascal." The young kit responded nervously.

"I see you're recovered from your injury." Whitestar said, before taking notice of the confused look on Rascal's muzzle.

"Injury?" Rascal asked. If you had an injury, wasn't it supposed to hurt?

"You'll find out eventually." Whitestar sighed, before jumping on the top of his den. Before he had a chance to do or say anything else, the she would quickly pick him up by the scruff before following the leader onto the white rock, where she'd place Rascal down.

"All warriors strong enough to defend Glacier Clan from her greatest enemies, gather around the White Rock for a clan meeting!" Whitestar yowled. His voice wasn't as loud or booming as when Khan would call a meeting, although the voice of a sabertooth shouldn't be enough to tell you that that cat is a leader. Rascal quickly shook himself from these thoughts, as he noticed saber-toothed cat pour out of their dens to attend the clan meeting. Rascal nearly felt his jaw drop from the sight. There were far more cats here than there were in White-Forest Clan! How was that even possible? Didn't they technically go through the same problem his former clan did in terms of prey? How were all these saber-toothed cats fed?

"A kit from White-Forest Clan has been found by Alik." The leader paused, as muttering erupted throughout the crowd before continuing, "After much thought and discussion with our medicine saber Brightpelt, this kit shall undergo multiple tests before being accepted as a member of this clan."

The muttering grew louder, loud enough for Rascal to hear their taunts.

_'Ugh, another one?'_

_'Great, even more mouths to feed.'_

_'When are we going to stop taking in the scraps of other clans?'_

But there was one taunt that stuck out over the rest;

_'Ew! Look at that ugly cut on his face!'_

Rascal was taken aback, before another memory found itself wiggling into his head. That's right, he now remembered in detail what had happened. As soon as he ran forward to confront Torrid, he would find himself flying backwards after Torrid unsheathed his claws, and raked his face with one powerful sight, leaving one of his eyes cut badly and his face with a massive claw mark. The other cats seemed to hear the one cats taunt about the claw mark on his face, thus being the reason why most of them broke out in whispers; all about his face.

Rascal immediately hated being here. He hated that he was kept alive. Hell, he hated himself for being such a burden. Greystar didn't respond for a while. It was only when he felt like speaking where he'd silence the clan by simply straightening himself out and craning his neck.

"Given he is of age, he shall become an apprentice effective immediately." Greystar would pause momentarily, taking notice of Rascal's black pelt; an uncommon feature among saber-toothed cats, "From this day on, until he receives his warrior name, he shall be known as Nightpaw. His mentor shall be Alik, the warrior that first found him near-death in White-Forest territory."

After a small pause, to which the aforementioned Alik would step forward, Greystar would continue, "Alik, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from your former mentor Lionhound, and have shown yourself to be brave and strong enough to mentor this apprentice, and pass down all the knowledge you have gained."

"I shall do my very best." Alik said, dipping his head before looking up towards Rasca-no, that wasn't his name anymore. It was now Nightpaw - an odd name, but one he felt was better than Rascal.

"You have to touch noses with him." The she beside him whispered, causing him to remember the moment Prague ran towards her mentor to touch noses with him. With a shaky breath, the newly named Nightpaw would carefully climb down from the White Rock before slowly making his way toward Alik. Once close enough, the two would touch noses to acknowledge their newfound partnership. A few cats from the crowd shouted their voices of approval, but it wasn't that many.

"I declare this meeting over!" Greystar announced.

Just as quickly as that, the crowd would quickly disperse safe for the sabers that wanted to welcome Nightpaw to the clan, and congratulate him on his apprenticeship. Nightpelt felt overwhelmed by how nice some of sabers were towards him. He certainly wouldn't have received this attention if he remained in White-Forest Clan. Hell, he doubted Cinos and Prague received this attention when they were made apprentices. Worse yet, they were stuck with their stupid names while Nightpaw got a new cool one.

"When are we going to start training?" Nightpaw asked, his fears immediately dissipating just as quickly as they came the moment he left the den he woke up in.

Alik softly chuckled, "Perhaps tomorrow, you're still new here, and you're not strong enough to venture out of the camp with that posture."

"B-But!" Nightpaw quickly whined, only to be cut off by Alik.

"Don't whine like that, you're no longer a kit. Why don't you explore the clan a bit? Make some new friends. I promise we'll start your training first thing tomorrow." Alik said with an assuring smile. To be fair, that didn't sound like a bad idea; making new friends. It could help Nightpaw lift his fears over the clan!

"I like that idea!" Nightpaw smiled. After Alik nodded towards a group of apprentices, he'd watch as Nightpaw dashed to make some friends.

As soon as he made himself known in the group, he'd immediately regret it. It seemed like these other apprentices weren't so keen on meeting him, as proved by their disgusted looks when he tried to wiggle himself into their group. He tried to look past this however.

"H-Hey, I'm Rasc-N-Nightpaw." Nightpaw mentally bit his tail. He needed to remember his new name was Nightpaw.

"Oh, hey Nightpaw!" One of the apprentices greeted, "My name is scram before we decide to hurt you real bad!"

Nightpaw took the warning to heart. With his ears flat against his head, Nightpaw would turn tail and walk away from the group as they snickered.

"So long, Scarface!" He heard. Based on the tone, Nightpaw knew it to be a taunt. But unlike the taunts Cinos and Prague would provide, these apprentices were far sharper with the words they chose.

"Hey, don't listen to them." Another apprentice around the same height as Nightpaw would say, "They're always like that towards newcomers. They'll be real nice to you after a while."

"They are?" Nightpaw asked. He didn't believe that group was nice as this apprentice claimed.

"My name is Redpaw." Redpaw introduced himself, dipping his head.

"O-Oh. My name is-" "Nightpaw, I know." Redpaw chuckled.

"Come on, let me show you around." Redpaw offered, running off before Nightpaw had a say in the matter.

After Nightpelt caught up, Redpaw would do as he proposed, showing Nightpaw as much as the camp as he could. He started from the apprentice den, informing Nightpaw he could sleep anywhere he'd like - even beside him if he was comfortable enough with it. From then on, Redpaw would show Nightpaw the warriors den, where warriors resided, the medicine den, where injured sabers would go to be healed by the medicine saber, the nursery den, where queens and kits resided, and the elders den, where sabers too old to really do much reside until they die. Last but not least, Redpaw would lead Nightpelt toward the fresh-kill pile after noticing him sneak a few glances off of it.

"Woah, there's so much here!" Nightpaw gawked, surprising Redpaw.

"You don't have this much food back in your other clan?" Redpaw asked, immediately regretting asking the question as the smile on Nightpaw's muzzle faded.

"I'd rather not talk about my other clan right now." Nightpaw said with a sigh. To change the subject, Redpaw nudged a saber-toothed squirrel toward him.

"Caught this one by myself when my mentor took me hunting! He was a hassle, let me tell you." Redpaw lightly chuckled, smiling as Nightpaw laughed with him.

"Do you want to try?" He'd ask, taking Nightpaw aback.

"A-Are you sure? I mean, if it's allowed."

"What?" Redpaw tilted his head, "Of course it's allowed. Of course, you'll have to start providing for the clan if you want more. Just think of this as a sample. You'll get more if you work hard for it."

"Oh, a-alright then." Nightpaw gulped, leaning forward before taking a bite out of the saber-toothed squirrel. His tongue immediately fell victim to the sweet taste of his first bite! It was unlike anything the stories provided - not even words could describe how good it was!

"I see you like it!" Redpaw giggled. Nightpaw let out a 'Mhm!" as his response before gulping down the bite.

"That was really good!" Nightpaw said, "I hope I can catch stuff like this!"

"Well, you might have a chance tomorrow, right?" Redpaw asked. That's right! Alik promised to take him out training tomorrow, but that was too far from now! It was still ligh-wait a minute. The sun wasn't even up! Right now, it was night! How long had he been asleep for?

"Are you alright?" Redpaw asked, taking note of Nightpaw's shocked state.

"I seriously thought it was still daytime." Nightpaw admitted shamefully. Redpaw looked on with guilt as Nightpaw lowered his head.

"Don't worry about it bud." Redpaw said, nudging his body into Nightpaw's, "You must be really tired not to notice it's night. Here, I'll show you where you'll be sleeping."

Taking Redpaw's offer, Nightpaw would follow his new friend into the apprentice's den, where they'd carefully and quietly trot towards their bedding. The ones inside of the den were either asleep, or didn't care enough to give the two the time of day. Despite this, their entry into the den did not go unnoticed. Even though Redpaw seemed oblivious to the voices, Nightpaw could hear the whispers of his clanmates, nitpicking at his looks, his stature, even the scar he didn't know he had until recently. He almost wanted to teach them a lesson - one Khan would teach disobedient ca-

"Hey, are you okay?" Redpaw asked, breaking Nightpaw out of his trance.

"Y-Yeah, I'm just tired is all." Nightpaw assured him before laying down on his bedding, "Wait until I wake up, alright? I'll be more energized than today."

Redpaw nodded as he also laid down. Nightpaw immediately found himself close to sleep, even though he didn't feel tired moments ago. He was about to drift off into sleep, when one more voice rang in his ears - one that was far more positive than the ones he had been hearing all night.

"Welcome to Glacier Clan, Nightpaw."

**End of Chapter II**

* * *

**Well, here we are! The end of Chapter II, which is something that should've come out a long time ago. But as I said in the Author Note's above, I was working on the remastered version of Heroes: The Following. In which case, you probably know where my priorities lie in terms of what story I'm working on.**

**This chapter was far darker than I originally intended. Nevertheless, it turned out a lot better than I thought it would, and I hope you'll agree. Also, cliche introduction to a new clan is cliche. I can't tell you how many times I've seen someone a similar technique when introducing clans. But if it works, it works. I also managed to repair the spelling mistake riddled abomination of Chapter I, so it should be a slightly more satisfying read - hopefully.**

**Before I leave off, I'd like to request something of you guys. Next chapter, I plan on introducing more characters, but it'll take a long time to think of a good name and personality. I'll be looking for apprentices, and warriors that will mentor these apprentices. Warriors who aren't mentors will also be fine. The next chapter will continue Rascal's (now Nightpaw's) story.**

**Please use the format below when creating a character, and please note that anything can happen to the character you post.**

**GENERAL:  
Name:  
Age:  
Gender:  
Sexuality:  
Clan:  
Rank: Kit/App/Warrior  
Mentor:  
Apprentice:  
Pelt Color:  
PErsonality:**

**STATS: (Pick a number from one to five)  
Power:  
Defense:  
Agility:  
Senses:  
Stealth:  
**


End file.
